2.0 Short Film
New York City, New York | Film Short
Comedy, Sci-Fi
2.0 is a comedic short film about the engineer who creates the AI that's going to replace him. It is fictional (in the loosest sense of the word) but also extremely relevant to the world right now. We need your help to get 2.0 to the finish line - including editing, promotion, and film festivals.
2.0 Short Film
New York City, New York | Film Short
Comedy, Sci-Fi
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
69 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$7,443
Goal: $15,000 for post-production
2.0 is a comedic short film about the engineer who creates the AI that's going to replace him. It is fictional (in the loosest sense of the word) but also extremely relevant to the world right now. We need your help to get 2.0 to the finish line - including editing, promotion, and film festivals.
Participating In
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
What does it mean to make yourself obsolete? To bring about your own replacement in the hopes of a better world that doesn't include you?
2.0 follows the story of a brilliant engineer named Hasan who creates '2.0,' the most advanced AI the world has ever seen, only to see his life immediately fall apart. This is a dark comedy about our blind faith in technology, about living in a world that's moving faster than we can keep up with, and about needing to check in with our humanity now more than ever.
This project, despite showing and revolving around AI, was 100% human crafted with an incredible cast and crew (check out The Team page!) I'm incredibly grateful to have worked with.
 with S&S Text.jpg)
From Matt, Writer of 2.0
Last summer on a writer's retreat, I sat down to write the story that had been bouncing around in my head all year. AI is a topic that's been on a lot of people's minds, including my own, and as someone who has worked in tech for years while also being a creative, I'd heard every take there was, from apocalyptic doom and gloom to heralding the next big evolution for humanity.
I wanted to show an angle that I hadn't seen yet, exploring the mind of someone who very much believes in the future of AI, and has the power to bring it about, without fully understanding the consequences of what doing that means.
None of us really know what's coming despite plowing forward at breakneck speed, and that's exactly what I find so interesting and worth exploring (even if this take winds up being the furthest thing from reality).
 with S&S Text.jpg)
The film was shot in February 2026 and we're about to begin the editing process, with festivals and the future of the finished product on our minds - this is where you come in!
We need your support to get this project to the finish line. While simply saying "AI" might get millions of dollars in any Silicon Valley pitch meeting, that's a lot less true in creative world. We need as much support as we can to make the best version of this story as possible, and then to get the film out into the world in front of as many people as possible.
While we don't have any specific stretch goals for this project, every additional dollar helps us get recoup the initial budget invested, and gives us more options for screenings and festivals!
Help Us Get Loud!
We'd love for you to share this on social media:
Join me in supporting "2.0," a short film exploring the downward spiral of the AI engineer who creates the AI that quickly replaces him (and everyone else). It is technically as of this moment, still a work of fiction.
.jpg)
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Post-Production
Costs $4,000
We've already shot the film, but the final step in the process is post production. We'll need some to edit, score and color the footage.
Film Premiere In NYC
Costs $1,000
We're hoping to have a big premiere to generate buzz around the film.
Production Expenses
Costs $8,000
I've been covering production expenses to date, but this budget will help cover the outstanding expenses related to the short
Film Festivals
Costs $2,000
We'd love to take 2.0 out to various festivals once it's complete. This budget will include submissions, travel and lodging.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Matt Shafeek (Writer, Co-Director) is an MFA Creative Writing graduate, a 20 year improv veteran, and a lifelong New Yorker. He loves movies, TV and games, and, more specifically in those mediums, he loves sci fi and comedy and how those genres allow for more insightful and topical storytelling.
After writing several pilots and a screenplay over the past decade last year he made it his goal to write something that would finally get made, which was the script that eventually became 2.0. He couldn't be more excited to see his vision finally coming to life.
Katy Frame (Co-Director, Director of Photography, Editor) is a director, cinematographer, editor, gaffer and content creator based in Brooklyn, NY. Prior to filmmaking, Katy performed all around the world as an actress and comedian. She brings her years of performance experience with her on set, which is a huge advantage when working with actors, directors and creative people! 2.0 has been a joy to work on and is looking forward to showing it to the world!
Brandon Lulay (Journalist #1, Robot Programmer) Originally hailing from Mare Tranquillitatis, Brandon has spent most of his life in an idle state. When artistic vision or dire financial straits stir him to action, he and the teams he works with are surprised and delighted to find all the lowest bars met! Barely in the/any industry, his most plausible talents are creating believable onscreen human–computer interactions, along with hitting marks and saying lines.
Aakash Kesavarapu (Hasan Agarwal) is a writer and actor based in New York. He performs improv and sketch with UCB and creates digital sketches with Second City. He performs stand up around the country and has been featured in New York Comedy Festival.
Aryn Mello Pryor (2.0) is a New York voice actor, narrator, and nerd. When they're not in the booth, they can usually be found in an archery range or buried up to their eyes in books, video games, and D&D lore. Their recent work includes Iago for Shake-scene Shakespeare, the Tales from the Labyrinth podcast, and COR Actual Play. They can be found (occasionally) on Instagram and Bluesky as @arynmellopryor
Rikin Shah (Chance Vital) is an actor and writer based in Brooklyn, NY. Having trained with the likes of Anthony Abeson, Upright Citizens Brigade, and more Rikin fancies himself as quite qualified to do acting stuff and therefore grace your eyes with his presence in a story you can choose to watch or not (depending on whether or not you are undergoing the Ludovico technique). Previous credits include Electronic City off-off Broadway (New Stage Theatre Co.) as well as films including Empathy Man (Sundance Collab) and The Bull Cage (Buffalo International Film Festival).
Paulina Knaak (Assistant Director) is an NYC filmmaker who specializes in Sociopolitical Comedy and "Non-Conventional" Coming of Age stories. Her standout directing credits include: "The Downtown 666" (Best Narrative Short, Golden State Film Festival 2025, "Best Director" NY Cinefest 2025), “MUG SHOT” (Best Comedy, Worldwide Women’s Film Festival 2024),"Good Mourning" Written/Produced by Elliot Stevens, "Acting Out" Written/Produced by Quentin Owusu-Thomson, "The HomosexualGuide to F*cking It Up" Written/Produced by Alec Richards, and “Rose Vs. Wade” Written/Produced by Sionne Elise. Paulina has worked on over 150 short films (Produced by HerStoriesProductions, Reelarc, Hysterical Femme Productions, 99 Cent Productions, OneFrameProductions…to name a few!) More about her can be found at her website paulinaknaak.com
Anastasia Goldberg (she/her) (Sound) is a queer production sound mixer based in NYC. Originally from Maryland, she has found a home in NYC working on every sort of project, from documentary to narrative to commercial. She works for clients such as CNN, NFL Films, PBS, and a variety of talented indie filmmakers. She brings her love for sound into her personal projects, such as a 6-episode sci-fi narrative podcast Unearthed, her upcoming narrative short, Hero’s Journey, and a few documentary projects. anastasialeegoldberg.com
Connor Gillooly (Assistant Camera) is a Brooklyn based filmmaker. He has been assistant camera and G+E on a variety of projects for over a decade. Originally from Virginia, he moved to New York to find opportunities to be a part of impactful and cutting edge films. He feels so lucky to be able to add 2.0 to his list.
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Jim Hawkins (Various 1.9's) is an actor, v.o. artist, and full-fledged nerd based in NYC. A graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, he plays Magic the Gathering, Dungeons and Dragons, and various characters on stage and screen. Some favorite projects include Guys and Dolls (Timberlake Playhouse), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Clinton Showboat), and GrubHub's Summon the Food campaign.
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Will Jacobs (Coworker) is a comedian and filmmaker based in Brooklyn. He performs regularly at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater and makes mostly very silly things online under @sadwilliam
Elana Fishbein (Darissa) is an improvisor, teacher, director, and creative consultant. She can be seen performing with the Armando Diaz Experience every Saturday at the Magnet Theater. When she's not actively trying to convince people to watch Australian Survivor, Elana can be heard on the Story Pirates podcast and Cat in the Hat Cast. She is creator and director of The Schmooze, a living room style improv show featuring a cast of performers ages 70+. Previous projects include: Kiss Punch Poem, Pepita (Best of the Fest, San Diego), and the two-woman play, Sisters Three (NYTimes Critics’ Pick), devised entirely through improv. She has designed curricula and facilitated improv workshops for theaters, corporations, non-profits, and educational institutions around the world. Elana holds Master's in Educational Theatre from NYU. For more info check out elanafishbein.com.
Amy Connerley (Journalist #2) is an actor, singer, choreographer, and producer based in New York City. She currently performs and teaches and has been blessed to be a part of a variety of film projects and live performances. She started releasing some of her own original music in 2020, currently available on all music streaming platforms! Some of her favorite credits include: LifeStock (Make Your Myth Productions), Slashening: The Final Beginning (Annum Films), and Summer Moves w/ Shaun T (People Now TV). See more and connect at www.amyconnerley.com!
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Javier Perez (Assistant) is an actor based in New York City. You can find him on Thursdays performing at the Magnet Theater with his team Factory Factory, or with his musical improv team Unheard Of! (@unheardofmusical on Insta). He is also a member of Hell Yea's Shakespearean Improv podcast Alas! which can be found on all major podcasting platforms. He is very grateful for the opportunity to be apart of this film and work with such a talented cast and crew.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
What does it mean to make yourself obsolete? To bring about your own replacement in the hopes of a better world that doesn't include you?
2.0 follows the story of a brilliant engineer named Hasan who creates '2.0,' the most advanced AI the world has ever seen, only to see his life immediately fall apart. This is a dark comedy about our blind faith in technology, about living in a world that's moving faster than we can keep up with, and about needing to check in with our humanity now more than ever.
This project, despite showing and revolving around AI, was 100% human crafted with an incredible cast and crew (check out The Team page!) I'm incredibly grateful to have worked with.
From Matt, Writer of 2.0
Last summer on a writer's retreat, I sat down to write the story that had been bouncing around in my head all year. AI is a topic that's been on a lot of people's minds, including my own, and as someone who has worked in tech for years while also being a creative, I'd heard every take there was, from apocalyptic doom and gloom to heralding the next big evolution for humanity.
I wanted to show an angle that I hadn't seen yet, exploring the mind of someone who very much believes in the future of AI, and has the power to bring it about, without fully understanding the consequences of what doing that means.
None of us really know what's coming despite plowing forward at breakneck speed, and that's exactly what I find so interesting and worth exploring (even if this take winds up being the furthest thing from reality).
The film was shot in February 2026 and we're about to begin the editing process, with festivals and the future of the finished product on our minds - this is where you come in!
We need your support to get this project to the finish line. While simply saying "AI" might get millions of dollars in any Silicon Valley pitch meeting, that's a lot less true in creative world. We need as much support as we can to make the best version of this story as possible, and then to get the film out into the world in front of as many people as possible.
While we don't have any specific stretch goals for this project, every additional dollar helps us get recoup the initial budget invested, and gives us more options for screenings and festivals!
Help Us Get Loud!
We'd love for you to share this on social media:
Join me in supporting "2.0," a short film exploring the downward spiral of the AI engineer who creates the AI that quickly replaces him (and everyone else). It is technically as of this moment, still a work of fiction.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Post-Production
Costs $4,000
We've already shot the film, but the final step in the process is post production. We'll need some to edit, score and color the footage.
Film Premiere In NYC
Costs $1,000
We're hoping to have a big premiere to generate buzz around the film.
Production Expenses
Costs $8,000
I've been covering production expenses to date, but this budget will help cover the outstanding expenses related to the short
Film Festivals
Costs $2,000
We'd love to take 2.0 out to various festivals once it's complete. This budget will include submissions, travel and lodging.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Matt Shafeek (Writer, Co-Director) is an MFA Creative Writing graduate, a 20 year improv veteran, and a lifelong New Yorker. He loves movies, TV and games, and, more specifically in those mediums, he loves sci fi and comedy and how those genres allow for more insightful and topical storytelling.
After writing several pilots and a screenplay over the past decade last year he made it his goal to write something that would finally get made, which was the script that eventually became 2.0. He couldn't be more excited to see his vision finally coming to life.
Katy Frame (Co-Director, Director of Photography, Editor) is a director, cinematographer, editor, gaffer and content creator based in Brooklyn, NY. Prior to filmmaking, Katy performed all around the world as an actress and comedian. She brings her years of performance experience with her on set, which is a huge advantage when working with actors, directors and creative people! 2.0 has been a joy to work on and is looking forward to showing it to the world!
Brandon Lulay (Journalist #1, Robot Programmer) Originally hailing from Mare Tranquillitatis, Brandon has spent most of his life in an idle state. When artistic vision or dire financial straits stir him to action, he and the teams he works with are surprised and delighted to find all the lowest bars met! Barely in the/any industry, his most plausible talents are creating believable onscreen human–computer interactions, along with hitting marks and saying lines.
Aakash Kesavarapu (Hasan Agarwal) is a writer and actor based in New York. He performs improv and sketch with UCB and creates digital sketches with Second City. He performs stand up around the country and has been featured in New York Comedy Festival.
Aryn Mello Pryor (2.0) is a New York voice actor, narrator, and nerd. When they're not in the booth, they can usually be found in an archery range or buried up to their eyes in books, video games, and D&D lore. Their recent work includes Iago for Shake-scene Shakespeare, the Tales from the Labyrinth podcast, and COR Actual Play. They can be found (occasionally) on Instagram and Bluesky as @arynmellopryor
Rikin Shah (Chance Vital) is an actor and writer based in Brooklyn, NY. Having trained with the likes of Anthony Abeson, Upright Citizens Brigade, and more Rikin fancies himself as quite qualified to do acting stuff and therefore grace your eyes with his presence in a story you can choose to watch or not (depending on whether or not you are undergoing the Ludovico technique). Previous credits include Electronic City off-off Broadway (New Stage Theatre Co.) as well as films including Empathy Man (Sundance Collab) and The Bull Cage (Buffalo International Film Festival).
Paulina Knaak (Assistant Director) is an NYC filmmaker who specializes in Sociopolitical Comedy and "Non-Conventional" Coming of Age stories. Her standout directing credits include: "The Downtown 666" (Best Narrative Short, Golden State Film Festival 2025, "Best Director" NY Cinefest 2025), “MUG SHOT” (Best Comedy, Worldwide Women’s Film Festival 2024),"Good Mourning" Written/Produced by Elliot Stevens, "Acting Out" Written/Produced by Quentin Owusu-Thomson, "The HomosexualGuide to F*cking It Up" Written/Produced by Alec Richards, and “Rose Vs. Wade” Written/Produced by Sionne Elise. Paulina has worked on over 150 short films (Produced by HerStoriesProductions, Reelarc, Hysterical Femme Productions, 99 Cent Productions, OneFrameProductions…to name a few!) More about her can be found at her website paulinaknaak.com
Anastasia Goldberg (she/her) (Sound) is a queer production sound mixer based in NYC. Originally from Maryland, she has found a home in NYC working on every sort of project, from documentary to narrative to commercial. She works for clients such as CNN, NFL Films, PBS, and a variety of talented indie filmmakers. She brings her love for sound into her personal projects, such as a 6-episode sci-fi narrative podcast Unearthed, her upcoming narrative short, Hero’s Journey, and a few documentary projects. anastasialeegoldberg.com
Connor Gillooly (Assistant Camera) is a Brooklyn based filmmaker. He has been assistant camera and G+E on a variety of projects for over a decade. Originally from Virginia, he moved to New York to find opportunities to be a part of impactful and cutting edge films. He feels so lucky to be able to add 2.0 to his list.
Jim Hawkins (Various 1.9's) is an actor, v.o. artist, and full-fledged nerd based in NYC. A graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, he plays Magic the Gathering, Dungeons and Dragons, and various characters on stage and screen. Some favorite projects include Guys and Dolls (Timberlake Playhouse), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Clinton Showboat), and GrubHub's Summon the Food campaign.
Will Jacobs (Coworker) is a comedian and filmmaker based in Brooklyn. He performs regularly at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater and makes mostly very silly things online under @sadwilliam
Elana Fishbein (Darissa) is an improvisor, teacher, director, and creative consultant. She can be seen performing with the Armando Diaz Experience every Saturday at the Magnet Theater. When she's not actively trying to convince people to watch Australian Survivor, Elana can be heard on the Story Pirates podcast and Cat in the Hat Cast. She is creator and director of The Schmooze, a living room style improv show featuring a cast of performers ages 70+. Previous projects include: Kiss Punch Poem, Pepita (Best of the Fest, San Diego), and the two-woman play, Sisters Three (NYTimes Critics’ Pick), devised entirely through improv. She has designed curricula and facilitated improv workshops for theaters, corporations, non-profits, and educational institutions around the world. Elana holds Master's in Educational Theatre from NYU. For more info check out elanafishbein.com.
Amy Connerley (Journalist #2) is an actor, singer, choreographer, and producer based in New York City. She currently performs and teaches and has been blessed to be a part of a variety of film projects and live performances. She started releasing some of her own original music in 2020, currently available on all music streaming platforms! Some of her favorite credits include: LifeStock (Make Your Myth Productions), Slashening: The Final Beginning (Annum Films), and Summer Moves w/ Shaun T (People Now TV). See more and connect at www.amyconnerley.com!
Javier Perez (Assistant) is an actor based in New York City. You can find him on Thursdays performing at the Magnet Theater with his team Factory Factory, or with his musical improv team Unheard Of! (@unheardofmusical on Insta). He is also a member of Hell Yea's Shakespearean Improv podcast Alas! which can be found on all major podcasting platforms. He is very grateful for the opportunity to be apart of this film and work with such a talented cast and crew.